Living beings such as humans and animals produce fluids as part of normal bodily functions. In some cases, the fluids are secretions from the nose or the mouth. In other cases, the fluids are accumulations of secretions that may change form over time, such as ear wax. Oftentimes, removal of the fluids is medically necessary or preferred. For example, fluids may be removed from the upper airway (i.e., the nose and/or mouth) of a baby, child or adult to aid in respiratory functionality. In another example, fluid such as blood may be removed from a body cavity prior to a medical procedure. In another example, ear wax or other fluid may be removed to aid in auditory functionality.
Manual or automated suction devices are conventionally used to remove fluids. Because the suction device must be placed in close proximity to or inside of the body cavity during suction, injury and trauma to the body and/or body cavity often results due to the design of the nozzle 40 portion of the suction device. Accordingly, there is a need for a suction device designed such that the likelihood of injury to the body and/or body cavity during use is relatively low.
Further, the fluid to be removed from the body cavity may be of a consistency making suction uncomfortable for the patient on which suction is performed. To make the fluid thinner and suction more comfortable, conventional approaches include irrigating the body cavity by depositing solution in the body cavity and then suctioning the fluid and the solution from the body cavity. This process, however, is quite cumbersome as the primary caregiver, whom may be holding or restraining a baby or other patient with one arm and hand, must with the other hand, retrieve an irrigation source, irrigate the body cavity, replace the irrigation source to its original position, retrieve the suction device, suction the body cavity and replace the suction device to its original position. The process may alternately disadvantageously require the assistance of a secondary caregiver to provide the irrigation to and suction of the body cavity while the primary caregiver holds or restrains the patient. The process is, in either case, unnecessarily time-consuming, which may be detrimental to the patient, especially in life-threatening medical emergencies. Accordingly, there is a need for a combination irrigation and suction device that may be operated by a single hand of a primary caregiver such that the primary caregiver may operate the device to perform irrigation and suction with one hand and may perform other medical duties such as holding or restraining a patient with another hand.